Bending plow-handles



Patented-Jan. 24,1882".

N. Pneus, Pnomnmgmphu. wunmgm u4 c.

(No Model.)

G.,0,.AVBRY BBNDING PLOW HAND-LES.

'kleuren gratas GEORGE O. AVERY, OE LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

BENDING PLOW-HANDLES.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 252,712, dated January` 24, 1882.

- Application filed June 23, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern Beit known that I, GEORGE C. AVERY, of Louisville,in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain Improvements in the Art of and Means for Bending Wood for Plow-Handles, Ste.; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings, making part of this application;

Myinventiou relates to certa-in new-and'iiseful improvements in the art of making plowhandles and other articles of b ent wood, and in the means or devices employed for holding the bent portion of the wooden article during the usual and requisite time for the wood to set.

Previous to my invention it has been customary in the art of forming the curved end portions of plow-handles to bend such portion from a straight stick (after having` 'subjected the wood to the proper steaming process to render the stick su'liiciently pliable) over a former, and their fasten or hold the wood in this bent condition after its removal from the bending-machine (usually for about thirty-six hours, by'means of a tie-rod or equivalent device operating to tie together one end ot' the curved or bent part and the straight part of the stick. This mode ot' practicing the art is well known to those familiar with the manufacture of Wooden plow-handles and analogous articles. In this method of practicing the art ot' making such articles the serious difficulty occurs of a rupturing or upsetting of the fibers of the wood at that portion of the handle iu the vicinity ofthe point where the curve runs into thestraight part of the stick, and this difficulty results in such a defective article of manufacture that a large percentage of the bent sticks are too imperfect for the market, and have to be condemned after the bending and curving processes have been performed.

the sharply-curved portion ofthe stick to the straight part, so that, instead of permitting the tie-rod to perform the function of tyingtogether the ends of the curve, so to speak, said tierod is caused to produce a pushing action of the straight part of the stick against the bent part Where the curve runs out the straight part, thus inducing to a sort of upsetting action ot' the particles of the wood, which, having its grain ortibers runninglengthwise ofthe stick, is ruptured at the locality before alluded to; and I have found that by bracing or tying together-the ends of the curve this serious difficulty is perfectly overcome..

My invention therefore consists, in the first place, as an improvement in the art in tying together the extremities of the curved or bent portion of the stick, thus inducing the tie-rod or equivalent device employed to act upon the principle of a chord to the arc of the curved part ofthe wood, and to operate in a manner analogous to that'of abow-string, distributing the bending strain on the fibers of the stick about equally throughout the portions extending from the middle to the ends of the bent part.

My invention further consists in meansfor carrying out this method of tying up the bend, the 'said means being essentially a suitable brace, cord, ortie-rod,combined with the usual spring-plate, which is applied to the exterior ot the curved part ofthe stick and clamped to the straight part ofthe latter.

To enable those skilled in the ai t to practice my invention, I will now proceed to more fully explain the several features thereof, referring by letters to the accompanying drawings, which form part 'of this specification, and in which-"- Figure l is a side'elevation of a bent plowhandle bar or stick bent by the usual means, but having its curved part tied up, ready for the curing and setting process, according to the method made the subject of the first part of my invention and by the means made the subject-matter ofthe second part of my invention. Fig. 2 is a view looking at the under side ofthe contrivance seen at Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross vertical section at the line fr x of Fig. 1.

In the several figures the same part will be found designated by the same letter of reference.

In the contrivance shown for holding the IJO 2 l n y 252,1!2

bent stick the construction is such as to adapt it to hold two sticks at once. This form is not, however, essential to any part of the invention made the subject of this application, and will be found more particularly described in another tiled by me, in which this construction of the holder and certain improvements in the machinery for bending are claimed.

A and B represent two plowhandle ends, which have been bent in the usual manner, and to which has been applied during the bending process a spring-plate, C, provided at one end with a cast-iron shoe, D, against the inner` surface of which abut and rest the ends ofthe sticks A and B, as shown. To the other end of the spring-plate C is securely fastened a casting, E, to the upper ear-pieces, e, of which is pivoted the upper end ot' a link, F, and to the lowerlugs,f, of which is pivoted the upper end of the tie-rod G.

To the lower end ot' the link F is pivoted a clamping-plate, H, while from the lower end of the tie-rod G project laterally pins'h, adapted to engage with the flange-like projections t' t' of the eastmetal shoe D, all as clearly illustrated.

J represents wedges, which may be driven in between the plate H and the lower surface of the sticks or wooden bars, for the purpose of effecting the retention of theplate H in proper place and the eonlinenient securely of the bars A B between said plate and the casting E.

It will be seen that the curve ofthe stick A runs substantially from the point l to the point 2, and that the tie-rod Gr is ill a position to form practically the chord to the are l2. By thus tying together the ends ot'the curve of the bent wood (instead ot tying the point 2 to the remote extremity of or to some other point in the straight part of the stick,as hasheretofore been the custom) l iind by a thorough practical test that instead of seven and one-half per cent. of the bent sticks being defective at about the point marked a at Fig. 1, and seven per cent. of the bent sticks being unfit for use, not

more than one in every hundred has any iinperfection in the bend. After the placement ofthe stick in the holder contrivance, with its end against the plate D and its body between plates E and H, the plate [I is struck with a hammer and driven in a direction indicated by the arrow at Fig. 1. The stick and holderspring C, are then bent, andthe tie-rod having,r had its lugs h caught onto the projections 1'., as shown, the stick and holder are put one side for the usual curing or setting process. Any tendency ofthe lower end of the bent bar (andthe spring-plate C) to spring outward will exert a strain longitudinally on the tie-rod Gr, that will operate to make said tie-rod pull the plate E in the direction indicated by the arrow at Fig. 1, and any such movement ot' said plate must of course operate to bind or clamp the sticks A B more rigidly between said plate and that marked H.

What I claim in this application as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improvement in the art, holding in place the bent portion of the stick or bar b-y tying together the ends of the' curve or curved portion of the stock, in substantially the manner described.

2. As a novel contrivance for tying up the bent stock during the usual setting and curing process, the spring-plate C, provided at one end with a device for the end ofthe stick to bear against and at the other end with a slotted bearing-plate, E, in combination with a tie-rod, G, pivoted centrally to said plate and adapted to'cngage with the device against which the stick end bears, and a clampingplate, H, and centrally-arranged link-bar F,

pivoted at its ends to said plates E and H, all

substantially in the manner specied, for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 23d day otJune, 1881.

GEORGE C. AVERY. In presence ot"- W. G. WIGGINTON, HENRY H. MoDoUGALL. 

